Campaigners see ‘shift in attitude’ over health plans

GROUPS opposed to the reduction of services in Monaghan General Hospital said there’s been a “shift in attitude” from the Government on plans for changing the health service in the north-east.

Following a meeting yesterday with the Junior Minister at the Department of Health Brian Lenihan, campaigners believe the Government has for the first time “a genuine understanding of the problem”.

Monaghan Town Mayor Padraig McNally (FF), who has fronted the campaign to retain services at the hospital, said: “There wasn’t a very fruitful outcome to the meeting. But there seemed to be a genuine realisation that the two hospitals in the region, Drogheda and Cavan, are overburdened with work, while Monaghan is under-utilised.”